Life in the Chinese Fast Lane

There are ten million people in Guangzhou. And every one of them must own a cart, a bike, a motorcycle, or a car. And, at any given moment about half of these ten million vehicles are on the city’s streets.
The interesting thing is, traffic moves more freely than in most major cities in the U.S. I have yet to see an accident, despite the fact that there are very few traffic lights. There’s one intersection where six roads converge. Vehicles of all shapes and sizes cross lanes, all without any traffic signals, and things move smoothly, frighteningly, but smoothly.
As I mentioned earlier, crossing the street is one of the great Chinese adventures. Pedestrians cross one lane at a time, and some city streets may contain seven lanes in each direction. You don’t wait for traffic to pass and then start out into the street. You simply move as closely as you can to the vehicle in the lane, and then slip around it and wait to slide in between vehicles in the next lane. Some of the locals are so good, they can do it without even looking towards the oncoming traffic. It’s like they have a sixth sense for this sort of thing.
Bicycles are a major means of transportation…not just personal transportation, but huge loads of cargo as well. It’s not uncommon to see a cyclist with water jugs, packages, or pillows strapped to his bike. I don’t know what’s with this pillow thing, but often a cyclist will be so laden down with big, square, colorful pillows, that it’s impossible to see the bike itself.
Frequently, you’ll see chickens in cages strapped to bikes, or motorcycles, being taken to market. It’s really somewhat sad. The little fellows seem so happy to be taken for a ride. Their heads are poked through the openings in the cages, and they seem to be really enjoying the breeze. Little do they know it’s a death ride.
No matter the time of day, the streets are going to be filled with this concoction of pedestrians and vehicles of all shapes and sizes…all defying the law of physics that says that two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time. And, rarely will you hear a horn blowing…maybe an occasional toot to warn someone, but everyone seems so polite as they share the roadways.
The people of Guangzhou are perpetually busy. The little shops are always open. In fact, I don’t believe many of them even have fronts to close and lock. They look more like garages with the door lifted up. Within any given block, you’re apt to find a store selling tires, next to a produce market, next to a “store” filled from top to bottom with plastic water jugs.
There are little food stands, stores selling paper products, auto repair shops, and just about anything else you could imagine. And there are people…so many people. I think many of these families that operate the little stores either live in them, or in one of the small apartments above them. You get the impression that these hardworking people are born in these little shops, grow up in them, live and work in them, and then die in them. One thing you don’t see on the streets of this major Chinese city are toddlers. In Hong Kong, the young children are everywhere. Parents can be seen walking through the markets with three or four children hanging on to them. Occasionally, here in Guangzhou, you’ll see a parent with one small child. But, one is the limit, not just the limit, the law.
China is, in many ways, exceptionally technologically advanced. The group I am with is here for a major export fair. We have seen building products, home appliances, electronics, and an assortment of other items that are very well made. But, for all the technological advancement, there are many parts of the country that seem to have remained virtually unchanged over countless decades. One can see a spotless black Rolls Royce sharing the road with beat-up bicycles and pull-carts.
It makes for a very interesting mix. It’s not at all as I had imagined a Communist country to be. And yet, in many ways, you are constantly reminded of the realities. I’d like to tell you more, but that will wait for another day.